Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

About two hours later…

Snort… grunt…

In the distance, the ground trembled with the sound of countless beasts stampeding, accompanied by the low, sharp squeals of the Razorbeasts. The pressure in the air was palpable.

Roar…

The Abyss Dragon let out a deep, guttural roar, its voice tearing through the air and overpowering the Razorbeasts' cries. The beast horde in the distance momentarily fell into chaos.

From his vantage point atop a tower, Orion could see everything clearly. The Razorbeasts, sensing the Abyss Dragon's overwhelming presence, had begun to split off. The ones at the front of the horde were veering to the sides of Moonshadow Valley.

However, the Razorbeasts further back, unaware of the danger ahead, continued charging forward. By the time they sensed the Abyss Dragon's aura, it was too late—some were being pushed forward by the sheer force of the horde behind them.

Roar…

The Abyss Dragon, feeling its dominance challenged, swung its massive tail and charged toward the beast horde.

Orion raised his hand, signaling the order to hunt.

Woo woo woo…

The war horns blared once again, and the strongest bloodline warriors from the Giants, Buffalofolk, and Obsidian Golems surged forward into battle.

Many of the Razorbeasts were elite-level beasts, making them dangerous foes. But their flesh was also some of the finest meat available, which was why Orion had driven off the Lionbats earlier—he wanted to focus entirely on the Razorbeasts.

In Orion's eyes, this wave of Razorbeasts had already transformed into a massive stockpile of food.

Orion intended for his horde to secure enough meat from this beast tide to last them through the winter.

"Chieftain, Rendall sent me to inform you—there's a situation in the back of Moonshadow Valley!"

Just as Orion was overseeing the battle, ensuring his horde's morale, a succubus warrior approached him with troubling news.

*The Lionbats had returned, launching a surprise attack!* Explore more at empire

Orion's mind raced. After a moment of thought, he turned to his guard, Dace.

"Go fetch Delilah for me!"

"At once, Chieftain!"

Moments later, the succubus queen Delilah arrived at the tower, her expression slightly puzzled.

"Put aside what you're doing for now and take command here. I'm going to check on the situation in the back."

Before Delilah could respond, Orion had already gathered his men and was heading toward the rear of Moonshadow Valley.

In times of crisis, there were only four people in the Stoneheart Horde capable of leading the entire horde.

One was Rendall, but he was currently patrolling the rear mountains, ensuring no beasts climbed over the ridges.

Then there were Prophet Onyx and Thundar, but both elders had already charged into battle, eager to hunt more prey for the horde.

That left only Queen Delilah, who was in charge of logistics and supplies, but now Orion had tasked her with overseeing the defense.

---

Moonshadow Valley, Rear Mountains.

When Orion arrived, the dark shapes in the distant sky were already clearly visible.

"Chieftain, those damn bats didn't leave—they've come back!"

Orion squinted, staring at the returning Lionbats, his thoughts growing darker.

"Elder Rendall, I don't think this is as simple as we thought."

"I killed their leader earlier. They should've been thrown into disarray."

"But now they've regrouped and flown back. Don't you find that strange?"

Rendall's eyes widened as he considered the possibility.

"Chieftain, are you saying their real leader isn't dead?"

Orion didn't respond immediately. He stared at the Lionbats for a long time before speaking.

"Their leader is definitely dead. Otherwise, they wouldn't have fled so quickly before."

"The fact that they've returned to attack can only mean one thing—there's an Alpha-level beast hidden within the beast tide, and it's a flying type."

"These Lionbats were driven back by that Alpha-level flying beast!"

Rendall's face turned pale at the news.

An Alpha-level flying beast was not something they could afford to provoke.

As long as it stayed at a high altitude, there was nothing Orion or the horde could do to stop it.

"Chieftain Orion… what should we do now?"

Orion could hear the panic in Rendall's voice. The elder was clearly shaken.

"Don't panic. These Lionbats are no big deal. However many come, I'll kill them all!"

"And if there really is an Alpha-level flying beast, as long as it dares to lower its altitude, I'll kill it too!"

Orion's voice was full of confidence, though it might have sounded like bravado.

It wasn't that Orion was arrogant, but in front of so many of his people, he had to project strength and confidence.

Only by doing so could the bloodline warriors muster the courage and resolve to face the beast tide and any stronger foes that might come.

But deep down, Orion was already on high alert.

He was certain that the Alpha-level flying beast had sensed both him and the Abyss Dragon. So why was it still driving the beast tide toward Moonshadow Valley?

That was the question Orion couldn't figure out, and it was something he urgently needed to understand.

Some problems could only be solved by addressing the root cause.

"Beyn, Torba, in addition to the spears, prepare my trident!"

"Yes, Chieftain!"

As Orion pondered the situation, he kept his eyes on the approaching Lionbats, instructing his giant guards to prepare for battle.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Due to Orion's immense strength, even his casual spear throws were devastating.

The Lionbats had no way to defend themselves against Orion's spears.

After losing three of their comrades, the Lionbats grew wary of Orion and increased their altitude once again.

This created a strange and awe-inspiring scene over Moonshadow Valley.

A massive swarm of Lionbats circled high above the valley, refusing to leave, ready to strike at any moment.

Meanwhile, at the valley's entrance, the bloodline warriors of the Stoneheart Horde were locked in fierce combat with the Razorbeasts, the battle raging on.

Fortunately, the Abyss Dragon was holding the line, blocking the majority of the Razorbeasts' charge.

The horde members were smart, positioning themselves around the Abyss Dragon to intercept the Razorbeasts. The strategy was working well, and they were making significant gains.

"Chieftain, what do we do now? Those damn bats are just hovering up there, refusing to leave!"

Elder Rendall was furious and frustrated. He had no way to deal with these flying beasts.

Orion, holding his trident in one hand, looked up at the Lionbats, his expression grim.

Even though the Abyss Dragon was holding the front line, Orion was worried that there might be an Alpha-level beast hidden among the ground forces as well.

If that worst-case scenario came to pass, not only would the wall's foundation be at risk, but Moonshadow Valley itself could be in grave danger.

Orion glanced back at the battlefield outside Moonshadow Valley. Though chaotic, the situation was under control for now.

"I'll handle things here. Elder, take your men and head outside the valley to provide support. Be ready for anything."

Rendall nodded, realizing the wisdom in Orion's words.

Having so many warriors standing idle here was a waste of manpower.

"Understood!"

Without further delay, Rendall led his group out of Moonshadow Valley to reinforce the front lines.

---

"Orion, don't you think the appearance of this beast tide is strange? It seems like it's targeting our horde specifically."

Orion turned to look at Lilith, who had spoken. His expression grew more serious as her words sank in.